Scoring device for lids of cans and the like



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UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE SCORING DEVICE Fon Liiis oF CANS` AND THE LIKE Benno Walensky, London, England Application October 3, 1944, Serial No. 557,030 In Great Britain January 28, 1943 .6 Claims. (Cl. 164-20) This invention relates to scoring devices, more initial inaccurate setting of the tools in the press particularly intended for scoring the metal lids or to small displacement of one or other of the or end closure has been applied. ation of the press.

The invention is, however, applicable to scor- According to the present invention, in a scoring ing devices, for scoring sheet metal or other sheet device of the type set forth, having a non-rotary material or blanks or like articles made there- )o pressing or counter-pressure element to bear on from, in general. and apply pressure or counter-pressure to anA or counter-pressure element which close together mounted so as to be capable of setting itselfautoin like manner to a punch and die to form the matically to accommodate for any departure from score or weakening groove or grooves in said parallelism between the knife edge andthe comaterial. operating part of the pressing or counter-pressure Usually, the sheet material employed in induselement when said element and the scoring knife try and requiring to be scored, such as for examare brought together to form the score.-

ple the thin sheets or plates known as tin plate, Embodiments of the invention, intended for from which the lids or end closures for cans or producing a circular score in lids or end closures like containers are made, has a thickness of the for cans, are illustrated by the accompanying order of one or some hundredths of an inch and, drawing. when the score is made, the thickness of the In the drawing: material remaining between the bottom of the Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a press score and the underface of the material is of the equipped with scoring means according to the order of some thousandths of an inch. invention.

Accordingly, the scoring operation necessitates Figure 2 shows, on a larger scale and in secextreme accuracy in the scoring device and pretional elevation, the scoring means and means cise parallelism during the scoring operation, for feeding the blanks to be scored thereto and between the parts of the device which co-operate discharging the scored blanks therefrom.

to form the score; otherwise a score which leaves Figure 3 shows, 0n e Smaller Seele and in 120D a non-uniform thickness of material beneath it plan, a turntable forming the feeding means results, and this is undesirable. 35 shown in Figure 2.

A score which leaves such Varying thickness Figure 4 shows, on a similar scale and also in of metal beneath it, beyond certain narrow limits, 130D plan, the fixed table felmng the discharging is particularly undesirable in the case of scored means shown in Figure 2.

lids or end closures for cans, inasmuch as the lid Figure 5 shows, in Sectional elevation, a modior end closure then presents a varying resistance 40 fied form of the mounting for the scoring knife, to shearing along the score in opening the can and to which Such iid or end closure has been applied, Figure 6 is a part Sectional half-plan correso creating diliculty in opening the can; while Spending t0 Figure 5, with the feeding turntable also the score may be so deep in a part or parts and Xed table removed and the top 0f the as unduly to weaken the lid or end closure, so spring-urged table shown broken away to show that it fails to offer suflcient resistance to withthe under parts, the section being an irregular stand the normal strains to which it is subjected section taken on the line 5 5 on the right hand and breaks away at the score, such undue weakside of Figure 5. I

ening in a part or parts also rendering the lid In the embodiment illustrated by Figures 1 to or end closure liable to burst at the score when, 60 4, the numeral indicates a lXeCl base blOCk SUD- as is sometimes the case, the closed can with its ported 0n a base plate 2, Whilst 3 indicates a contents is subjected to processing 'operations or pressing head of a press, the pressing head being rough handling. movable vertically in the frame 4 of the press Non-parallelism between the parts of the tools towards and away from the base block I, by a which form the score may be due, inter alia, to driving pulley 5, through any suitable mecha- Vwhich is tapered to a pressing element i4.

' face 'I1 pressing face :I1

pressing element Y 25 downwards'on to the knife edge nism such as a those skilled in illustration.

The base block I accommodates a support 6 for a scoring knife 1 which is removably mounted on the support.

The support crank, as will be appreciated by the art without the necessity for 6 is in the form of a section of a a hat top and a central boss 8.

centrally aper- 9 with an upstanding rim I0 knife edge II at the top. Y The apertured disc 9 is engaged over the boss and seats on the flat top of the support 6, the boss 8 centralising the knife 1. The base block I is formed with a cavity I2 of spherical curvature, corresponding to that of the knife support 6.

The knife support 6 is mounted in the cavity I2 of the base block l and, with theV knife 1 mounted thereon, is capable of free universal movement in the base block I Y'I'h'epressing head 3 car-'ries tured disc or ring a holder I3 for a Thepress'ing element le comprises a centrally apertured disc l5, with a downwardly extended annular wall 'I3 formed with a convex bottom of somewhat flattened curvature, which constitutes the pressing face.

The pressing element I4 andthe lannular knife 1 have a common central vertical axis, and the has its middle aligned with the knife edge II. Y

The pressing element YI4 'is received in a cir cular cavity 'I8 of the holder I3 and is held therein by abolt or screwY IQ. Y

The holder I3 is screwed into the pressing head 3, `the screw-thread being of fine pitch so that micrometric axial adjustment of the pressing element Ill, towards or away 'from the knife edge Il, can be effected.

The centre of curvature of the cavity I2 in the base block I is chosen so that it lies at the point C 'at which the `central vertical axis `common vto the knife 1 and the pressing element Ill intersects the plane corresponding to the level of the knife edge Il. It may, howeverfli'e in the close vicinity of the intersecting point C along 'the common central axis.

By adopting the point C as the centre of curvature, the minimum of Ydiarnetrical movement of the `knife edge II, against the pressing face -Il of vthe pressing element I, is obtained on self adjustment of the knife edge to parallelism which takes place when the scoring operation is performed, that is to say, the knife edge II moves in the lateral direction to a far smaller extent than would be the case if said centre of curvature lay fat a higher or lower position along the common central vertical axis.

.A "sleeve 20 is mounted on the base block I, so as to be capable of axial sliding movement thereon, and is urged upwards by springs 2! interposed between lugs 2li 'on the sleeve and the b'ase plate V2, the springs vsurrounding headed guide posts 23 which pass freely through the lugs 22 and are secured in the Vbase plate 2.

The sleeve 23 has `an inturned lip 2li at its upper end to seat the lid 25 to be scored.

The sleeve 20 supports the lid V25, initially, in position above the knife 1. Y

As the pressing head 3 is lowered and the I4 is brought into contact with the lid 25, the the `action ofthe springs 2I, and carries vthe lid l'I whereupon,

Y y sleeve 20 is moved downwards under pressure of the pressing element I!! against Y pressing eleknife under the continued pressure of the ment I4, the lid 25 is forced against the edge I I to form the score.

When the pressing head 3 is raised, the sleeve 23 rises, under the pressure of the springs 2I, so carrying the scored lid 25 upwards into the initial position above the knife edge to permit of its removal.

Lids to be scored are fed, one at 'a time, to the scoring device by an intermittently rotated turntable 25 which is secured on an upright sleeve 21 which turns about an upright post 29, so as to move over the top of the sleeve 23, it being held in position by a nut 33 screwed on to the top of the post 29, and lbearing at its lower` end on a ring 23.

rlhe turntable 23 has a series of lid receiving openings 3l, circularly spaced around its centre of rotation, Yand it is rotated intermittently or in steps, in the direction ol' the arrow (Figure 3), over1 a fixed table 32, which has a slot 33 located over 'and exposing the scoring knife TI. The fixed table 32 is supported on upright posts 313 on the base plate 2.

YThe arrangement vis such that as the turntable placed in the openings 3l therein, it `carries each lid in turn over the opening 33 in the Vfixed table 32 and deposits ft through said opening on to the lip 2li-ef the sleeve 28 to be acted onto form the score as previously described, the lids prior to reaching the opening 33 in the fixed table 32 and `=when passing beyond said opening resting on vand sliding along the fixed table 32.

A second slot 35 (Figure 4) is v'formed at a suitable position in the fixed table 3'2 for the discharge of feach lid 'in turn after it has been scored.

The turntable 26, in the embodiment illustrated, is turned intermittently'by hand. Obviously, however, and as will be readily appreciated by those iskilled* in the art without any necessity for illustration, driving mechanism can be provided for the turntable '26, of any convenient kind which in oper-ation -can be timed to provide a pause in rotation of the turntable of sufcient duration to vallow the scoring operation to /be performed on one lid before the next is brought into position and deposited on the sleeve 2S, the scored lid being raised by the sleeve Y2l) into its opening 13| inthe 'turntable 23 so that it is carried fon 'by the turntable 26 beyond the 'knife 'i for discharge through the "slot 35 in the xed table 32. f

The possibility ydf axial adjustment of the holder I3 for the pressing element III, facilitates very accurate `Setting Aof the device for a predetermined thickness of material to be left between the bottom of the score and the und-ersurfa'ce of that part of the lid in which the score is made.

In operation, should for any reason the knife edge II and the pressing face I1 Vof the pressing element I4 be moved out Iof parallelism, then as soon as the pressing face l1 bears on a lid '25 r'eceived en the knife edge il to be scored, the knife edge il will adjust itself automatically, by reason 'of the universal mounting, to restore parallel'ism v'during the pressing operation, so ensuring the exertion of an even or uniform pressure over the whole of the knife edge II with consequent uniformity 'in the 'thickness of material left below the bottom of the score. y

In the modified form of construction illustrated by Figures -5 and '6, in which the same reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts to those of the previous figures, the knife 1 is supported by a gimbal or cardan type of mount- This mounting comprises two bodies 36 and 31, each in the form of a longitudinal section of a cylinder, the body 31 being received in a cavity 38 of corresponding curvature formed in the base block la and said body 31 having a transverse cavity 39 curved to correspond to the curvature of the other body 36, which is received in said transverse cavity 39 and is adapted to carry the knife 1. Y

The turning axes of these two bodies are thus disposed at right angles to each other and while the upper body 36, which carries the knife 1, can turn independently about its longitudinal'axis, the lower body 31 in turning about its longitudinal turning axis, carries the upper body 36 with it and, under such conditions, the knife 1 is capable of aimovement which approximates to or is substantially a universal movement.

With such a knife mounting, the minimum of diametrical movement of the knife edge against the pressing face I 1 of the pressing element I4, on self-adjustment, is obtained when the intersection point of the two turning axes lies in the plane corresponding to the level of the knife edge and in the common central axis of the pressing element and the knife.

In the embodiment illustrated by Figures 5 and 6, a table comprising a table top 40 of substantially rectangular form having a central opening 4| and plane sides 42 bearing on springs 2| and guided between guides 43, replaces the springpressed sleeve 20 of Figure 2.

The invention is not restricted to the particular embodiments described, as these are merely cans.

The pressing face I1 may have a contour other than convex as illustrated, for instance'it may have a contour of concave form, or it may be lat.

The knife 1 and the pressing element I4 being readily removable, provide for renewal or exchange by others. I

Before commencing the scoring operation with the device on a batch of lids, the knife 1 and the pressing face I 1 of the pressing element I4 can be brought into direct contact with each other, to test or establish initial parallelism, and the element 1 can be set in the position it then assumes, for instance, by any known and convenient clamping device such as a screw or screws.

I claim:

1. In a scoring press, the combination of a scoring knife and an opposed non-rotating pressure element movable towards one another in the operation of the press to score an article introduced between them, supports for said scoring knife and said non-rotating pressure element which permit of their relative universal movement for ensuring parallelism between them in the scoring operation, a feeding device for feeding articles one at a time between said scoring knife and said pressure element, and an openended spring-urged element on to which said articles are deposited by said feeding device in position to be scored and by which the scored articles are released from the knife for discharge.

2. In a scoring press, the combination of a circular scoring knife and an opposed non-rotating pressure element having an annular pressing face movable towards one another in the operation of the press to score an article introduced between them, a holder for flxedly ing pressure element in pre-set position, a sup- Y knife support-having a portion of spherical curvature, a holder for said knife support, said holder having a cavity of spherical curvature corresponding to that of said urged open-ended sleeve said articles are deposited by said turntable, and a xed table having displaced notches therein to allow an article positioned on the lip of the sleeve turntable, respectively.

3 In a scoring press, the combination of a scoring knife and an opposed non-rotating pressure element movable together in the operation non-rotating pressure element tion, and a support for said knife, said knife support comprising two bodies each in the form of a longitudinal section of a cylinder, and a w base block having a cavity of cylindrical curvature, one of said bodies being accommodated in said cavity and itself having a cavity, in transverse relation to the cavity in the base block and curved to correspond to the curvature of the other body which is received in said transverse cavity and carries said knife.

4. In a scoring press, the combination of a scoring knife and an opposed non-rotating pressure element movable together in the operation of the press to score an article introduced between them, a holder for xedly holding said non-rotating pressure element in a pre-set position, and a support for said knife, said knife support comprising two bodies each in the form of a longitudinal section of a cylinder, and a base block having a cavity of cylindrical curvature, one of said bodies being accommodated in said cavity and itself having a cavity, in transverse relation to the cavity in the base block and curved to correspond to the curvature of the other body which is received in said transverse cavity and carries said knife, a spring-urged table with an opening therein over said knife, and a turn-table for depositing articles one at a time on press.

BENNO WALEN SKY.

holding said non-rotatv in a pre-set posi- 

